The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in Math. The lowest is 30% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Pershing Elem.
Pershing Elementary serves kindergarten through fifth grade in the Springfield R-XII district. It is a regular public school, a smaller building for its grade band, and sits in a residential part of Springfield, a mid-sized regional hub in southwest Missouri. The school’s basic character is straightforward: it is a neighborhood elementary that draws from the surrounding area of a city with a diversified economy anchored by healthcare, retail, and corporate headquarters such as Bass Pro Shops and O'Reilly Auto Parts.
The student body leans heavily white, with a smaller but present mix of Hispanic, Black, Asian, and multiracial students. More than half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker that places the school in a moderate-to-high poverty context relative to the broader city. This economic profile is relevant to the academic picture, though a parent should confirm with the school what kinds of wraparound supports or targeted interventions are in place.
On the Missouri Assessment Program, the academic results are mixed and worth looking at closely. In math, fourth graders showed a strong proficiency rate, well above what a parent might expect from a single grade-level snapshot. Third and fifth grade math, however, came in at noticeably lower levels. In English language arts, only third grade had a reported proficiency rate, and that was modest; fourth and fifth grade ELA results were suppressed. The data for fifth grade science was also suppressed. When all tested subjects and grades are combined into an overall index, Pershing lands in the bottom quartile among elementary schools in Greene County. The strong fourth grade math performance is a clear bright spot, but across the full set of grades and subjects, the pattern is uneven, and there are several grade-subject combinations where the school’s performance is either weak or simply not reportable.
The suppression of multiple ELA and science results means that a parent cannot get a complete view of how most fifth graders and half the fourth graders are doing in reading and science. This is not unusual for a school of this size, where small tested populations can trigger data suppression rules to protect student privacy. Still, it leaves a gap. A parent may want to ask the school directly for the context behind those scores and how the school is addressing literacy and science instruction in those grades.
Because this is an elementary school, there is no graduation rate, no chronic absenteeism data in the file, and no course access metrics for high school pathways. The district-level picture does provide a few relevant updates. Springfield R-XII voters approved a bond issue that funds facility improvements such as HVAC, roofing, and safety upgrades without raising the tax rate, which means Pershing’s physical plant may see improvements over time. The district also launched a middle school redesign that changed bell schedules and elective offerings. That redesign will affect Pershing students once they leave for sixth grade, but for now it is a future consideration.
For a family evaluating this school, the decision turns on the fit between their expectations and what the data shows. Pershing serves a diverse-by-income student body. The academic record is a story of a standout fourth grade in math and otherwise uneven results with significant missing data. The school is part of a large district, Springfield R-XII, which means it is subject to districtwide initiatives and resource allocation. A parent would want to visit, talk to the principal about how the school addresses the weaker spots, and ask what is happening in third and fifth grade math and in reading across the upper grades. The school has a real strength to build on in fourth grade math, and the question is whether that success is isolated or part of a broader effort that can lift the other grades.
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